


When The Past Comes Back To Haunt You.

by Old_Friends_Bookends



Series: Prompt Fills. [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Everything in the Mind palace is real, Mental Institution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-10
Updated: 2014-04-10
Packaged: 2018-01-18 22:02:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1444444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Old_Friends_Bookends/pseuds/Old_Friends_Bookends
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In "His Last Vow" we see a padded cell is a part of Sherlock's mind palace. Going by the Method of loci, the padded psych ward cell isn’t a mind-fabrication; it’s an actual place he’s been, somewhere in his past.<br/>Prompt: When Sherlock was younger he was admitted in a mental hospital.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When The Past Comes Back To Haunt You.

Freak. Weirdo. Loner. Words ran around, faster and faster in Sherlock's young mind. His heart started beating harder; the darkness was closing in again. Sherlock let out a blood curdling scream and gripped his ears as if he was going to rip them off of his tiny body. The stimulation was too much. How could anaybody stand it? The noise, the people! Whimpering, he curled tighter into himself, his eyes squeezing tightly shut. If he could shut the world out forever, he would. He started to shake violently; low quaking sobs being pulled from his body with such a violent force. Mycroft knocked delicately on the door, he didn't want to frighten him even more. Slow, even footsteps were the only sound that Mycroft made as he padded his way over to his six year old brother. Sherlock was so little; his mop of raven dark curls drooped and perfectly framed his oval face; his piercing blue/green eyes were mesmerising; his long, gangly legs didn't seem to fit his frame. Mycroft smiled, but it was soon sodden down to a frown as sherlock flinched away from a soft touch. 

Soon, Mycroft had calmed Sherlock enough for the young boy to crawl into his big brothers lap. Mycroft slowly, repeatedly ran his fingertips through Sherlock's hair and murmured words of encouragement. His own eyes closed as he remembered those rare days, the ones when Sherlock would come out to play pirates or when he would cuddle into Mycroft's side on long journeys. Now all Sherlock does is hide in his room, the plain walls provided zero stimulation for his fast working mind. At just six, Sherlock had only spoke once and that was just a whisper. He leaned into Mycroft's ear and whispered Mycroft's name. He called for his parents to come see, shouting happily because Sherlock was finally talking. But the noise and stimulation had terrified him from ever speaking again.

On Sherlock's seventh birthday, father drove a shaking Sherlock to saint Bart's psychiatric hospital. Sherlock was silently checked in and shown to his room. Mycroft put down the case on the bed. Everything was so clinical, so hospitalised. Mycroft wondered how Sherlock would cope and get on in this place; perhaps better than at home. Father nodded to the young boy and walked out with a look of dispear. Just as Mycroft was about to leave, he felt a tug on his arm. Mycroft turned and smiled at his brother, slowly crouching down in front of him. The moment they were eye level, Sherlock's arms wound tightly around his brothers neck. Once again he leaned close and whispered, 'love My.' If anybody ever asked, Mycroft would deny crying as he left and every day until Sherlock's release.

The hospital taught Sherlock how to train his mind, how to manage his thoughts and the things around him. He was naughty too, he never let anybody play pirates with him and never spoke. On the plus side though, after the first six months Sherlock stopped screaming. He spent more time in that small padded cell than any other person. And, upon his eighth birthday Sherlock said his first word. He mumbled for his brother. Finally, he started to eat and sleep and manage his mind. He found out that the violin soothed his mind and his fidgety fingers. The day Sherlock was released, Carl Power's death hit the news and Sherlock knew what he had to do.

Sherlock Holmes was now the worlds only eight year old consulting detective.


End file.
